Syria unrest serves Israel interests: Ex-Lebanese President

Syria unrest serves Israel interests: Ex-Lebanese president“Israel has an interest in the deteriorating situation in Syria and in exhausting Syria, the more exhaustion in Syria, the more it serves Israel’s interests. The more destruction in Syria, the more Syria’s capabilities in confronting Israel are exhausted. This is …a victory for Israel…without suffering any losses.” Former Lebanese President Amine Pierre Gemayel

In an exclusive interview with Press TV on Thursday, Gemayel said that some Arab states in the Persian Gulf are supporting armed gangs in Syria to undermine the Syrian-Iranian alliance and serve Israel’s interests.

“We all know about the Syrian-Iranian alliance and we all know that there are some Arab countries in the Persian Gulf, which are at odds with Iran and maybe these factors encourage these Arab countries” to support the anti-government armed gangs in Syria, he noted.

“Israel has an interest in the deteriorating situation in Syria and in exhausting Syria. The more exhaustion in Syria, the more it serves Israel’s interests. The more destruction in Syria, the more Syria’s capabilities in confronting Israel are exhausted. This is…a victory for Israel…without suffering any losses,” the former president added.

On Wednesday, a bomb attack on the headquarters of the Syrian National Security Bureau killed Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha, Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, and Assistant Vice President Hassan Turkmani. Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Sha’ar and National Security Bureau chief Hisham Bikhtiyar were also wounded in the attack.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appointed General Fahd al-Jassem al-Freij as the new defense minister immediately after the incident.

The terrorist Free Syrian Army (FSA) claimed responsibility for the bombing and said the attack was the “first in a series.”

Syria has been the scene of violence by armed groups since March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including many security forces.

Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.